With the WTO's Appellate Body still not functioning due to U.S. blocking of appointments, the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA) has emerged as an alternative mechanism for hearing appeals of WTO panel reports. In two ongoing WTO disputes involving complaints by the EU against China,

At a WTO meeting that was held on Thursday and Friday, governments raised concerns with Chinese export restrictions on semiconductor input materials, and China raised issues of its own with U.S./Japanese/Dutch semiconductor export restrictions and the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Measure (CBAM).

This past week, CTM covered the following issues. In China: * Export restrictions on gallium and germanium * Foreign Relations Law enters into force * Trade developments with Belgium and Africa In the U.S.: * Federal investment approval for Chinese-owned battery factory * Republican presidential candidates talk China trade In Europe: * EU anti-

Chinese customs officials met with their Belgian counterparts last month and reached a number of agreements that will pave the way for more Belgian food exports. This came after China lifted a decade-long import ban on Belgian beef due to mad cow disease.

The European Parliament's Committee on International Trade recently released a draft opinion on the security and defense implications of China’s influence on critical infrastructure in the European Union.

Earlier this week, the European Commission imposed definitive anti-dumping duties on imports of stainless steel refillable kegs originating in China.

China's Foreign Relations Law entered into force on July 1. The law consolidates China's foreign policy, and provides an additional statutory basis for government action against foreign sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction.